Dear Friends:
    Chris Hafner-Eaton's post reminded me of why I love homeopathy when
working with babies. Unlike allopathic pharaceuticals, there is no risk to
baby when mom takes the remedy. Babies (and children) love the remedies
because they are sweet. A wrong remedy of low potency will do nothing.
    The goal in classical homeopathy is to find the remedy that best matches
the entire picture: appetite, sleep patterns, temperament, and symptoms.
Allopathic prescriptions are treating one symptom or syndrome and never
consider the whole person. Allopathic medicines usually have a host of side,
untoward, and toxic effects.
    If a child, heaven forbid, ate a bottle of homeopathic remedy, nothing
would happen. That certainly isn't the case if a child eats a bottle of any
drugstore medicine> (Not that I am recommending or encouraging either!)
    NIH is studying various complementary therapies, including homeopathy.
Jacobs et al found a significantly significant decrease in duration of acute
childhood diarrhea in a randomized clinical trail of homeopathic remedies.
(Pediatrics May 1994; 93:719-725) As Chris said, the placebo effect has no
place in a baby's system.
    On a personal basis, I love homeopathy because I can do it myself (most
of the time) when my family is sick. It is cheap, compared with the
pharmaceuticals. There are no side effects. It has been around a lot longer
than modern day pharmaceuticals. Perfect for breastfeeding situations. It is
one more tool to use. There are more and more certified and trained
practitioners using it.
    Remember the powerful smear campaign conducted by the AMA at the turn of
the century which systematically destroyed all the complementary therapies:
naturopathy, homeopathy, chiropractic, and midwifery. When people are
skeptical of an energetic medicine, most of that negativity comes from two
generations ago.
    To cite an analogy, people are skeptical of prayer, yet there are plenty
of good studies showing it has power and efficacy. (read Larry Dossey's
"Healing Words") Embracing all the therapies, energetic and physical, offers
us the most.
    Warmly,
Nikki Lee RN, MSN, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CIMI, CSTP
Elkins Park (a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; northeastern USA)
supporter of the WHO Code and the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative

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